


Just One

by GoodbyeBlues



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Girlfriends/No Wives, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Buies Creek, Denial of Feelings, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Feelings Realization, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Love Confessions, M/M, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-20
Updated: 2020-01-22
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:42:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22337236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoodbyeBlues/pseuds/GoodbyeBlues
Summary: It was an odd sensation to say the least, this ping-ponging back and forth between carefree and confused.It was as if Link's own body and mind would forget at times that things weren't quite the same, going in for a hug or a high five or some other once-unquestionable touch only to shudder to a halt halfway through, suddenly all too aware of his proximity to Rhett....A tender moment with Rhett after the 'Hair Brushing for Charity' live stream leaves Link questioning their relationship.
Relationships: Rhett McLaughlin/Link Neal
Comments: 31
Kudos: 98





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, you wonderful mythical beasts! This is my first work with this pairing and I hope you enjoy it. RPF is always a tricky thing, and I hope I did justice to these characters' namesakes. I have nothing but respect for R&L and am using their personas with no intentions beyond trying to create a loving fictional story. <3 
> 
> Thanks goes to concavepatterns for the beta, I really appreciate your input! :)
> 
> Feb 25, 2020: I can't believe I even have to say this, but on the off chance you are a Mythical crew member looking for material for a bit, PLEASE, ask permission before you take this to Rhett and Link. It doesn't matter how old this fic gets, please leave a comment below if you want to use it for anything.

_Let all things be as they should_

_Let my heart just drift like wood_

_And will I break and will I bow_

_If I cannot let it go?_

\- Just One, Blind Pilot

* * *

Link hadn’t been lying when he'd said he hadn’t felt any pleasure during the ‘hair brushing for charity’ video. 

Sure, he had played it up for the camera a bit, complaining a little louder than necessary whenever Rhett had tugged or scraped at a particularly delicate spot on his scalp, but the bristles on the brush had actually been pretty stiff, his winces of pain no longer an act after a certain point. That thing had legitimately hurt. 

It had been a successful live stream though, the celebration of another sizeable donation to St. Jude's, so he couldn’t feel too sour about it in the end, and he had to admit the concept had been a good one. Rhett had a way of suggesting videos that were right on that precarious line between funny and ridiculous, the self-deprecating humour involved keeping them relatable to the masses as the comment section blew up with ' _WTF are they doing now?'_ type reactions. 

It was a formula that ultimately worked for them, and it was more often than not spearheaded by a guy capable of keeping his feet planted firmly on the ground while simultaneously wielding a larger than life personality, not to mention stature. 

For a man overly conscious of fitting himself into certain spaces, hunching before too-short showerheads and pressing long legs into the cramped seats of less than ideal rental cars, Link often wondered if Rhett had ever noticed just how much the world bent and bowed itself around his large frame, large _life_ really, adapting, accommodating, and quietly welcoming. It was in the way the Mythical set was designed around both of them, but somehow Rhett always managed to look just a little more at home there, seamless amongst the texture of wood and the impression of trees. The way the coffee he made always seemed a little sweeter, his sweaters a whisper softer, the red lights he stopped at just a second shorter than Link had ever been able to achieve on his own. 

Did Rhett notice on that particular day, once the crew had exited and the cameras were off, the way the earth tilted a few dizzying degrees all around him, shifting them closer together than they’d ever been before? Did he breathe deep and know the air in the room was suddenly thinner, Link's heart and lungs working overtime as Rhett's chest pressed up against Link's own? Did he notice the way Link's hair practically reached up to anticipate the graze of long, sensitive fingertips, holding its collective breath until contact was finally made, Rhett reverently smoothing silver-streaked strands back into place? 

Link wasn't sure. 

So no, he hadn't felt any pleasure during their hair brushing video. 

After the video? 

That question had been keeping him up at night lately. 

* * *

Despite his recent introduction to insomnia and his newly realized inner turmoil, it wasn't all teenage angst and moody journal entries on Link's end. They still had lives to lead, jobs to do, the odd testicle to eat, unfortunately enough, and living in his own head only accomplished the unwanted task of frustrating the generally unflappable Stevie, Link quickly learned.

He physically shook himself as they reset for another take, thoroughly chastised for zoning out for the third time in a row during a trivia game segment. 

"You alright, man?" Rhett questioned lowly from beside him at the desk, the line forming between his brows betraying his level of concern. Link knew he tended to be the flighty one of the pair, but he didn't usually screw up this badly while filming, and on the rare occasions he did, it was generally still funny enough for their purposes. Today had just been an unusable mess so far. 

"Yeah, sorry. Didn't sleep well," Link answered truthfully, taking his glasses off to scrub at his eyes for a moment. He slid them back into place with the well-practiced bump of a finger. "I'll get it right this time, I promise." 

Rhett opened his mouth to reply but didn't get the chance, as Stevie was suddenly giving them the signal, _they were rolling again,_ and Link dove in with the enthusiasm and dedication he had been lacking before, pushing past the fog in his mind to _do better._

The concerned look disappeared in front of the camera, Rhett slipping back into his role of quiz host without a hint of hesitation, but a lingering tightness remained around his eyes, imperceptible to the lenses that faced them. It held there until Link pressed his thigh up against Rhett's under the table, the wordless reassurance finally easing the look on his best friend's face. It only served to deepen the pit that had been steadily growing in Link's stomach as of late, but really, there was no universe in which Link wouldn't be willing to throw himself down on his own sword if it meant Rhett's happiness. The little twitch of an acknowledging smile that emerged from under that thick blonde beard was more than worth it to him. 

* * *

The problem with living half your life on camera was that there was no way to escape the truth of it. 

The human brain was a delightful thing as far as memories went, silently erasing old, seemingly inconsequential moments and able to eventually lessen the impact of the more embarrassing ones. It lent a soft golden haze to the good times and kept them safe, ready to be brought to the surface for a fond visit, the more painful moments still existing but thankfully remaining tucked away more often than not. 

Cameras weren't so kind, unable to forgive or forget or soften a harsh realization, unwilling to justify a moment or rationalize a poor choice. They only told the truth, and sometimes that truth could be damning. Sometimes that truth made things worse. 

Link ran a weary hand through the fluff of his hair, an unconscious, but then suddenly very conscious mirror of the touch that had set this whole internal fiasco into motion a few days prior. He dropped his fingers back to the laptop's keyboard, the device settled on his legs as he reclined in bed, and glanced at the clock, the bright _3:37am_ branding like an accusation across his retinas. He hadn't been able to sleep again, his thoughts too jumbled with confusing half-memories possibly disguised as wishes. Had Rhett always touched him like that? For how long? Was it always that tender, a gentle pet with a softly held breath, or had Link just imagined the intensity that moment had held? Rhett hadn't been acting any differently in the days since, whereas Link felt like he had been sent into a tailspin. It had to be all in his head. Nothing had outwardly changed, so why couldn't he let this go? 

He almost wished that moment had been captured on screen but then quickly vanquished the thought, knowing he wouldn't be able to live through watching himself experience that level of (possible) affection again. Regardless of what had actually occurred, it had undeniably shaken Link. He needed to follow this rabbit hole all the way to the bottom, if only to ease the subtle ache that now accompanied every glance at Rhett. 

He didn't have that moment on film, no, but he had hours and hours of other footage, spanning over the course of years, which had led him to his current task. 

Research. That's all it was, when he watched himself be hugged and cheered for and kissed through plexiglass. Research, when he paused and rewound every soft touch or look aimed his way. 

The number of significant looks he himself had projected at Rhett was both alarming and somehow unsurprising, but Link was used to being the last one in on a joke, and really, wasn't that all this was? Just a big prank, courtesy of the universe, throwing into question a perfect friendship after all these years of peace. Watching himself feed Rhett strawberries time after time as if it were an everyday best friend activity sure felt like a joke to him, but the dark humour in it didn't want to come this early in the morning. It got stuck in his throat and behind his eyes, and he slammed the laptop lid closed as the clock ticked forward towards 6:00 a.m, calling the night a write-off and angry at himself for even looking in the first place. 

It hadn't made him feel better, had only served to confuse him more, and wasn't that just a big ol' laugh-riot. He hoped somebody up there was getting a kick out of this at least. 

* * *

"Thought I was gonna have to send out a search party for a moment there," Rhett greeted playfully as Link opened the passenger side door, sliding into the leather seat of the car a few minutes later than usual. Despite technically being up on time (could it still be called that if you hadn't slept?) Link had been moving sluggishly that morning, wasting roughly twenty-odd minutes staring into his closet without knowing exactly what it was he was looking for. He had skipped breakfast and was likely wearing two mismatched socks as a result, but it was hard to give a crap at the moment.

"And I'm not judging or nothing, but you look like shit, brother," Rhett continued, eyeballing him with a significantly quirked brow. 

The funny thing about Rhett was that despite him being the source of Link's troubling new dilemma, he had been a main source of comfort for far longer, and Link felt his smile make an appearance despite his exhaustion as they tumbled towards familiar banter. 

"That's a lot of talk, coming from the Missing Link himself," he shot back with a lopsided grin and a skeptical glance at the chaos that was Rhett's hair and beard, his melancholy quickly replaced by sleepy dopiness thanks to his best friend's arrival. 

Rhett backed down the driveway and Link leaned heavily against the headrest, his eyes slipping shut as the car picked up speed. "Didja ever think about how if I went missing, and they like, put my face on a milk carton or somethin', I'd be the Missing Link, and then when they found me they could finally claim _'we found the Missing Link!'_ " Link gave a little cheer at the end, complete with an arm pump of theatrical victory, but his limbs felt so heavy it turned into a bit of a floppy fish movement. _Catch the Fish with Grandad: Insomnia Edition._ Ha. 

"I have literally never thought that. And why are you laughing so hard? You think your own lame jokes are suddenly that funny?" 

Link cracked one bleary eye open to see amusement dancing across Rhett's face, his green eyes sparkling with mirth despite their current focus on the road. 

"Nothin', Squatchy, forget it," Link chuckled, settling a little deeper into his seat and letting his eyes slip shut again. "Wake me when we get there, will ya?" 

Link didn't see it when Rhett shook his head fondly, voice low and tender as he drifted off. "Just get some sleep, bo." 

* * *

It was an odd sensation to say the least, this ping-ponging back and forth between carefree and confused. 

It was as if Link's own body and mind would forget at times that things weren't quite the same, going in for a hug or a high five or some other once-unquestionable touch only to shudder to a halt halfway through, suddenly all too aware of his proximity to Rhett. He was blowing takes left and right out of pure awkwardness, going from totally in the moment to instantly in his own head, wondering what this touch or that glance _meant,_ what it looked like from the outside, and most importantly, what _Rhett_ was feeling through it all. 

What he wouldn't give to fucking know what Rhett was thinking of all of this, if it had even crossed his mind in the first place.

"How about we take five?" Stevie suggested kindly after another botched GMM attempt, too kindly for what Link deserved. It had been two weeks since Rhett had softly touched his hair and subsequently ruined his life, and Link was little more than a zombie at this point, still sleeping terribly when he managed to sleep at all. Recording had been taking longer each day, their usual happy-go-lucky dynamic was strained on screen, viewers were noticing, _commenting on it,_ for goodness sakes, and he knew the blame fell solely on him. 

This was all his fault. 

He pushed his chair back sharply from the desk, standing and retreating quickly from the set, even Rhett calling his name not enough to make him turn back. 

He just needed a break, just one minute where he could breathe again properly, one second where the press of tears behind his eyelids and the ache in his chest didn't feel like the end of the world. 

"Link." Rhett had caught up to him, because of course he had, of course he _would,_ best friends didn't let best friends have ridiculous meltdowns at work alone. "Hold up, man." 

He reached out to grab his wrist and Link jerked at the contact, his body betraying him over and over again. 

"Please don't touch me," Link could hardly get the words out through the thickness clogging his throat. His eyes were so close to overflowing now, he didn't dare look up to meet Rhett's troubled expression. 

Rhett's large hand dropped away as if Link's wrist had been a hot coal, sticking both hands up in a show of innocence, his voice gentle, like Link was a spooked wild animal. 

"Okay, okay, no touching. You're alright. We're alright, buddy. I think we should go into the office though, you good with that?" 

Link bobbed his head and followed, because yeah, having everyone witness his emotional breakdown hadn't been on his agenda for the day. 

He sat heavily on their leather couch and pulled his glasses off, tossing them onto the coffee table before running his hands over his face. He knew his eyes were going to be red-rimmed no matter what, but he could at least try to scrub the threatening tears away and preserve what little dignity he had left. 

Rhett sat gingerly on the other end of the couch, not quite relaxed but not as wound up as Link was either, and let the silence wash over them for a moment as Link pulled himself back together. It was another kindness Link didn't deserve, but he took it gratefully, lungs filling with air as he tried to empty himself of this feeling.

He was like a hot kettle on the stove, the temperature rising incrementally each day until there was nowhere left for the steam to go. He preferred to leave his bubbling over moments for at home though, away from green eyes that always saw too much. 

"You've been off lately," Rhett finally broke the silence once Link lifted his head, tears held at bay for now. It wasn't said as an accusation, just a fact, and Link tipped his head in acknowledgment. It was the truth after all. 

"I haven't been sleeping right," he answered the non-question with a hoarse voice and his go-to response as of late, knowing it wasn't enough anymore. 

"See, you've been saying that, but I don't think that's just it." Rhett was leaning his elbows on his knees now, hands clasped tightly in front of him. He was watching Link from an angle, not quite looking head-on, and Link knew the tactic was a purposeful one, Rhett's attempt at keeping him from feeling so on the spot. 

It worked well, and Link ended up mirroring the pose after slipping his glasses back on, taking another deep breath as he tried to get his thoughts in order. 

"I've had a lot on my mind lately," he ended up going with, skirting the issue. "Just been… thinkin' about things, I guess." 

"Like what?" Rhett had turned now, fully engaged. The searching look in his eyes was too much, and Link had to drop his own gaze back down to his hands. 

"Just, I don't know, lots of stuff. Growin’ up. Who we are now, who we grew into. Do you ever wish you could go back and make different choices, or try on a different version of yourself?" 

"Link, what's going on with you?" Rhett's voice was a little raw around the edges now, the corners of his eyes tight with some unnamed emotion. 

"I think I need a break from all this." Link hadn't planned on saying the words but knew it was the right decision as soon as the thought sprang free. "Not from _this,_ this," he hurried to say, gesturing to them, the room, the giant mythical beast that surrounded them at all times. "Just like, a vacation, maybe." 

The horrified, wide-eyed look on Rhett's face eased slightly, but he still looked a little shell-shocked, no doubt unable to keep up with Link's rapid conversational leaps. He scrubbed a broad palm over his own face, and Link was taken aback at how wrecked he looked from that one little miscommunication. 

"I gotta be honest man, it feels like you're secretly dyin' on me or something," Rhett chuckled, but there was no humour in it, nothing but worry on his face and in his tone now. "It feels like you're slipping right through my fingers lately." 

And oh, wasn't that a blow to an already aching heart. The need to care for Rhett trumped any feelings of his own, and Link was scooching over on the couch suddenly, bodies pressed tight from shoulder to knee as he pulled Rhett's entwined hands into his lap, easing his fingers slowly out of their white-knuckled grip. 

"I'm right here, and I'm not dyin', I promise," Link spoke softly into the space between them, massaging the blood back into each long finger, one at a time. "I just need to get my head on straight." 

"Where are you gonna go?" Rhett matched his volume in the hush of the room, his eyes fixed on Link's hands on his. 

"Dunno. Back home to Buies Creek, probably." He hadn't thought about that either, but again, it felt like the right choice as soon as he’d said it. 

"Can you do me a favour?" 

Link stopped massaging to look up at Rhett, the expression he saw there painful to witness. It was too much emotion aimed in one unquestionable direction, right at him. 

"Don't go by yourself. Let me come with you." 

Link couldn't have said no even if he'd tried. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone interested in part 1! 
> 
> The emotional impact of this chapter relies on some knowledge of the church scenes in part 2 of the Buies Creek doc (GMM "We Were Bad Kids") and was basically inspired by Rhett's face while looking at Link at 5:45 of that video. Go there and weep with me if you haven't seen it yet, it will give this chapter more context. 
> 
> Warnings for brief, mild sominoplilia as well, in which a character, thinking they're dreaming, rubs up against another sleeping character. They stop when they realize what they're doing.
> 
> Please enjoy! ❤

For a trip that was meant to be more _soul-searching pilgrimage_ than _vacation,_ Link was surprisingly upbeat as he organized his belongings, his button downs and jeans neatly folded away in his overnight bag. 

A spur of the moment trip meant they couldn't get away for more than a few days, GMM falling back on the pre-recorded 'sick day' episodes they had thankfully made before everything had gone to shit, but Link knew the crew would understand the necessity behind this abrupt break. He felt more than a little guilty about the amount of work they would all be coming back to because of him, but he also knew things would only continue to get worse if he didn't make a change soon. 

The fact that this trip could end with them coming back to nothing at all, to a dissolved business and a burnt out friendship wasn't lost on him; it was, in fact, hanging like an executioner's knife over his head. Link was decidedly ignoring the threat of the blade as much as his consciousness would allow, but it was kind of like that stupid game from childhood, _The Game_ , he remembered it being called, where just thinking about it made you automatically lose. 

He had definitely felt like a loser lately, so it was a pretty apt comparison, if he did say so himself. 

The plan to cast off his loserhood and restore the balance to his relationship with Rhett was a simple one, all in all. It was pretty obvious that despite living in L.A for years, it had never really felt like home to him. There was an excellent chance that he was just experiencing an intense bout of homesickness, having not been back to North Carolina for some time, and his sad little heart had clung to the only thing that had ever really felt like home since moving away: Rhett. 

Yes, Rhett had looked at him softly and touched him sweetly in the quiet of one random afternoon, but more and more research, less upsetting now that he had settled somewhat into his unease, had shown him that this was really nothing unusual for them. They touched all the time. Link was therefore an unreliable witness to his own life, and he knew the stats on how likely it was that he had simply misinterpreted that one single moment. 

Rhett had yet to show any sort of change whatsoever since that day, except for an elevated level of concern about Link, which was fair enough given his behaviour lately. This only confirmed to Link that his current shift in feelings was decidedly a _Link Problem,_ his and his alone. 

Rhett and Link would go back to Buies Creek, and Link would fill his heart back up to the top with whatever it was apparently lacking. The void had mistakenly been replacing the missing ingredient with a neon flashing ' _Rhett'_ sign, but he could fix this now that he knew what the problem was. Everything would go back to normal, no harm done. 

It was a perfect plan. 

He could hardly see the glint of the knife from here at all. 

* * *

The energy in the car was giddy as they drove to the airport together, Link behind the wheel and Merle playing loudly on the stereo, Rhett harmonizing passionately from the passenger seat. 

It felt good to be doing something different, something impulsive, their normal routines so cemented now that almost every minute was accounted for. Link felt the weight of the past few weeks melt away the closer they got to the airport, a happiness thrumming through his veins that had been absent for what felt like years. A lightened spirit and a glance at the dashboard clock had him taking the next exit in a spur of the moment detour. They had some time for a quick stop first. 

"Did you forget something at home?" Rhett paused his seated shimmying to the music to check in with Link, the trust in his voice implicit, knowing Link would never take them off course without good reason. 

"Nah, just don't wanna get on the plane hungry. The McRib is back, you want one?" 

Rhett's answering grin was blinding, and Link realized he hadn't seen it as often or as easily as he used to, lately. One more thing to fix on this trip. 

"Heck yes, brother!" Came the enthusiastic reply, green eyes lighting up. 

Link laughed and turned them towards the golden arches, his heart beating pleasantly with the knowledge that despite his many recent fuck-ups, he still had the ability to make Rhett smile. 

* * *

"I have so many regrets," Link lamented from his seat on the plane later. 

Rhett shifted slightly to look at him, asking for an explanation with a questioning rumble from deep in his throat. His eyes had narrowed in that way that meant he was on the path to 'concerned' again, and Link, probably selfishly, dragged the moment out for a bit longer, aiming for comedic timing. 

"We never shoulda stopped at McDonald's. Your breath stinks like onions now," he sighed out dramatically after a beat. Rhett choked out a surprised laugh, obviously relieved they were keeping things light, and gave Link a well-deserved jostle in the ribs with his pointy elbow. 

"Fuck you," Rhett cussed him out, breathing obnoxiously in his face, but his expression couldn't hide how happy he was that their easy camaraderie was back. 

* * *

"Hey, Link?" Rhett's voice was barely a whisper from beside him, likely not wanting to wake Link up if he had already drifted off. They were halfway through their flight and air travel had always made Link sleepy, even back when he had been getting the recommended eight hours a night. He had forgotten his special neck pillow this time though, and was using Rhett's shoulder as a substitute instead. 

"Hmm?" He hummed out, half-awake and listening even as he kept his eyes closed. 

"I just. I'm glad we're doing this. I missed you, man." Rhett spoke softly, hesitantly. 

"Haven't gone anywhere," Link slurred into his shoulder, unconsciousness creeping in around the edges. He nuzzled in a little bit, trying to find a better position. 

"Yeah. Yeah, I guess not," came the delayed reply. If Rhett said anything more after that, it was lost to the silence of sleep as Link finally succumbed to it.

* * *

“What’d your mom say when you told her we were coming? She excited?” Rhett questioned as he loaded their bags into the rental, their light packing only taking him a moment to suss out. 

“She, uh, she doesn’t know we’re here. I hadn’t planned on telling her, actually. I kinda just wanted to keep this visit between us. I got us rooms at the hotel instead, I hope that’s okay.” Link fiddled with the sleeve of his sweater as he spoke, self-conscious about his answer. 

Rhett stared at him from across the parking space as if he had just grown a second head, and Link felt the tremors in his hands start up under the heightened scrutiny. Rhett snapped out of it a moment later, tossing the car keys a little too forcefully towards Link. “Whatever you say, buddyroll. Lead on.”

His twitchy hands weren't fast enough and the keys hit the ground, Link bending over to pick them up as Rhett got in the car. He didn’t know why, but he couldn’t help but feel that if the drive to the airport had been one step forward, this exchange had just been two steps back. 

* * *

Link exhaled a breath of frustration, flipping his pillow over to the cool side and pounding it into shape. 

It was just past 2 a.m and he still hadn't fallen asleep, his brain replaying the last few hours over and over on a loop. 

It had been an awkwardly quiet drive to the hotel, both of them claiming exhaustion and deciding to call it a night and go their separate ways much earlier than they normally would have. Link felt his gut twist knowing Rhett had more than likely just wanted to get away from the horrible tension that had developed between them. Link still felt the elevated sense of unease hours later and was once again tossing and turning because of it. 

The sleep he'd gotten on the plane had been the best he'd had in a while, but that little cat nap hadn't been nearly enough to touch what was now going on weeks of insomnia. The last time he'd slept well before that had been the mornings Rhett had driven them into work, Link gratefully passing out in the passenger seat once they were on the road. 

Rhett had been there for all those times, and he was just down the hall right now. 

Twenty minutes of waffling with tired frustration and one rehearsed apology later, Link found himself standing outside Rhett's door in his pyjamas, his pillow tucked under one arm. 

Rhett opened the door too quickly after Link's gentle knock for him to have been asleep himself, and Link wondered if he wasn't the only one struggling tonight. The dark bags under Rhett's eyes and his out of control hair suggested as much. 

"Hey," Link greeted quietly, suddenly very conscious of the late hour and their various states of undress. Rhett was in nothing more than a pair of boxers currently. "Can I come in?" 

Rhett didn't respond, just looked at him for a moment before stepping away and heading back into the room, leaving the door open behind him. Link supposed that was answer enough, entering after a beat and shutting the door before approaching Rhett. 

He was sitting on the end of the bed, the sheets rumpled under him and his bare toes dug into the carpet, and Link felt a pull in his chest at the amount of vulnerability he was displaying like this. This is what Rhett looked like in the deep of the night, how he would look if they were together, Link rolling over in the dark to see his sleeping face. Maybe the Link of that world would be brave enough, or have permission even, to ghost his fingertips through that scratchy beard, to finally learn how it really felt. Maybe his fingers would travel up to trace over cheeks that rounded out like apples in the Fall when Rhett laughed, caressing over a brow that furrowed when he was concentrating hard on something, mapping out a strong nose that anchored a perfect face together. Maybe-

"I'm sorry," Link choked out, all the words he had planned earlier falling away with the fantasy. "I-" 

Rhett held up a hand and he stopped, allowing Rhett to study him in that overly intense way he had developed recently. 

"Let's not start this up again right now. You came here to sleep?" 

The timbre of Rhett's voice shuddered through him as green eyes glanced at the pillow tucked under Link's arm. 

Link licked his lips. "Yeah." 

Rhett gave him one last searching look before he nodded and moved himself backwards on the bed, slipping under the covers and then holding up the side closest to Link. An invitation. 

"Come on, then." 

Link didn't have to be told twice, stripping off his socks, placing his glasses on the nightstand and sliding under the blankets. They were already a little heated from Rhett's body and Link leaned into that warmth, leaned into Rhett, too exhausted, both physically and emotionally, to do anything else. 

"I swear, I'm tryin'. I'm gonna fix this," Link whispered into the dark, feeling tears prick hot behind his eyes, the sensation all too familiar these days. 

Rhett didn't respond for a long moment, just turned to pull Link towards his chest, the rise and fall of his breathing and the safety of his arms dragging Link under almost immediately. 

"Go to sleep, Link." 

Link slept. 

* * *

Link woke up in a dream, wrapped up tight in the arms and bed of the man he loved. 

Their bodies were pressed together almost head to toe, Link's nose tucked into the soft and whiskery skin of Rhett's neck. The dream had gotten everything right, the scent of Rhett musky with a subtle hint of the clean salty sweat that accompanied a good night's sleep, and Link breathed it in deeply, letting himself drift pleasantly in this gifted half-world. 

His legs were tangled up under the covers with Rhett's own, the blankets pooled down to their waists, and the tanned expanse of skin on display called to him, Link running his hands lightly over familiar muscles that were relaxed with sleep. Dream Rhett made a soft noise at the contact, shifting slightly on the bed, and suddenly Link felt their hips line up, Rhett pressing his groin up against Link's own. Link was already half hard in his sleep pants, but the brush of them together had him filling out completely, and he pressed back with intent, Rhett letting out a low moan in his sleep as Link rubbed against him. That sound shot right through Link's core and he pressed in again, Rhett's erection also feeling firmer against him, thicker than it had before, when Link shifted his hips towards him for another delicious thrust. 

_"Link."_ Rhett's breath of a whisper left him with a shuddering exhale, and God, Link could come from that alone, Rhett saying his name as he-

_BANG!_

The sound of a door down the hall slamming shut had Link jumping back into his own reality, horrified to find that his dream hadn't been a dream at all. He had been rubbing himself off against Rhett, Rhett had been, he had-

Link was up and out of the bed like a shot, pulling at his hair, grabbing his glasses like there was a fire under his ass and running back to his own room before Rhett even had the chance to open his eyes. 

* * *

"So I was thinking we could grab some breakfast together, and then if you want, maybe head over to your mom's place for a visit." Rhett was ruffling his fingers through his beard as he spoke, Link having met him back in his room later that morning. 

After retreating back to the safety of his own room, Link had taken the longest, coldest shower he could stand and come out of the bathroom thirty minutes later to find a text from Rhett that just said ' _breakfast?'_

Link had dredged up the courage to go back over, his stomach in his throat and the urge to vomit palpable, only to have Rhett open the door looking completely unaffected.

For some reason, this, of all things, tipped Link over the edge. 

"I told you I wasn't planning on going over there,” he replied with a huff. 

"And I'm telling you I think you should reconsider." Rhett was giving him that pointed look again, the one Link was quickly beginning to feel more than a little defensive around. 

"Why are you still going on about this?" Link's tone had escalated, anger bubbling up through his blood and into his veins. "What, you suddenly want to see my mom that badly? Go over and visit her yourself then!" 

"It's not that and you know it," Rhett growled out, the switch flipping quickly from judgemental to upset as he ran a hand aggressively through his wild hair, long pent up words finally pouring out at the first inkling of an opportunity. "It's about you acting so far away from yourself lately that I don't even recognize you anymore. I thought if you couldn't talk to me about whatever's going on you'd at least be talkin' to your mom about it, only to find out she hasn't heard a word from you in weeks! You've been ignoring her calls! And _then_ I find out yesterday that you didn't even tell her we were comin' here? What sort of backwards twilight zone are we in right now for Link Neal to not even visit his own mama anymore, huh?" 

Link's throat worked itself over but he remained silent for a long time, the only sounds in the room the low hum of the mini-fridge and Rhett's slightly elevated breathing. 

"You talked to my mom about me?" Link's voice was quiet, simmering. 

"You won't talk to me, Link! What was I supposed to do?" Rhett's words made up in volume what Link’s had lacked, his voice strained and green eyes wide, fury bleeding into desperation as he ended with what sounded like a plea. "I'm worried about you, man, and you won’t even tell me what’s wrong. Why won’t you tell me, Link?" 

Link swallowed the lump in his throat, his urge to fight broken down to dust. "I'm gonna go take a walk." His response sounded small and hollow to his own ears, but he had nothing left to give right now. 

"Yeah, you do that, run away," Rhett practically sneered, moving over to the bed and forcefully yanking the messy covers up, all evidence of their night together erased. "Let me know when my best friend gets back, if he still fucking exists anymore." 

Link knew he deserved Rhett's words, even his anger, but that didn't make it any easier to bear as he shut the door behind him with a soft click. 

* * *

The Buies Creek First Baptist Church was a good place to be alone.

After a couple hours of literally kicking rocks and wandering around town lost in his own head, Link had found himself standing in front of the old church, overwhelmed by memories. He skirted around the side of the large brick building, finding the air conditioner vent that Rhett, the dummy, had carved his name into as a kid. He crouched down to trace his fingers over the indents his best friend had made a lifetime ago and then rose back up to stand, heading back to the front of the church and trying the doors. 

He figured God probably owed him a favour and he was actually granted one this time, the doors miraculously unlocked, allowing Link to slip inside. There was no one around and the lights were off, but the large arching windows let the sunlight in, guiding his way up to their old seats on the balcony. 

They hadn’t been back here since they had filmed the Bleak Creek doc, and in the solitude Link gave himself over to his emotions, letting himself sit where Rhett had sat for years and years worth of Sundays, his own old spot remaining empty beside him. 

He didn’t pray, just sat in silence, leading himself down every possible fork in this new road, trying and failing to find a way to salvage things. 

The morning had long given way to afternoon when he heard the soft motion of the doors swing open, his rational side telling him it was an employee here to kick him out, his heart knowing it wasn’t. 

Rhett took his place in Link’s old seat and waited. 

“I've been trying so hard not to screw our friendship up, that I somehow messed it up even worse than I ever could have imagined,” Link began, voice already quivering with emotion. 

Rhett tipped his head in acknowledgement and settled a little deeper into the pew, seemingly content to listen for now despite his expression being fragile at best. 

“You’ve been so patient, more patient than I deserve, and I’m sorry, _I’m so sorry, Rhett,”_ Link broke off here, the hitch in his chest and the fresh heartbreak on his friend’s face almost impossible to handle all at once. “I’m sorry I haven’t been myself. I’m sorry for not trusting you with this, but I can’t, _I can’t-”_ Link turned to his side and grabbed Rhett’s hands in his, squeezing, imploring him to understand, _“I can’t tell you._ You’ll hate me if I do.” 

“I could never hate you.” Rhett had better control over himself but his eyes were still glassy with tears, Link’s sliding freely down his face now. 

“You don’t know that,” Link whispered into the silence between them. “I destroyed our friendship hiding it from you because I thought you knowing about it would destroy our friendship,” he chuckled darkly for a moment at the irony of it all. “You can’t tell me that without knowing what I'm talkin' about. But, _goddamnit Rhett,_ I still can’t say it. I can’t pull that trigger on us.” 

Rhett nodded and blinked quickly a few times, squeezing Link's hands in return, still held tight to his own as they rested in Link’s lap. Rhett looked away and took in the church for a moment, looking so much like he had the day they were last here and yet so much like the kid Link had grown up with that it took Link's breath away. 

Rhett pulled his hands away at last, reaching for the offering envelope and Bible in the back of the pew they faced. He flipped the envelope over to the blank side and set it on the book’s hard surface, the accompanying pen resting there getting weighed in his hand for a moment before holding the whole lot out to Link. 

“Write it down.” 

"What?" Link looked down at the objects being offered to him like he had never seen them before. 

"Write it down," Rhett repeated, jostling the items in his hands a little for emphasis. "If you can't tell me this big, deep dark secret of yours, write it down. If I read it and I don't like it, then it's just a joke and you get a pity laugh, just like I used to do." Rhett's mouth twitched up only slightly at the corner with this, but it was enough to release some of the severity in the room, and Link actually laughed a little, his shoulders slumping with the release of tension. 

"And if you like what it says?" Link had to ask, because dear Lord, _what if?_

Rhett shrugged a shoulder, aiming for nonchalance and missing by a mile. "Then I guess we'll see." 

Link met his eyes, swallowed, and took the envelope. 

It didn't take long to write the three simple words that were the equivalent of a gun to the head of everything they had built together. Link's hands shook as he wrote them out, shook as he passed the note to Rhett, and shook when he folded them together in his lap, awaiting his final judgement. 

Rhett licked his lips and opened the folded paper, leaning heavily on his thighs as he silently read the words to himself. 

_I love you._

Rhett lifted his head and stared out into the middle distance for a long moment, the pause spanning an eternity to Link. 

_"Dearly beloved…"_ Rhett ghosted the whisper out with one long breath and the twitch of his bearded jaw, an echo of Link the last time they had been here. 

"It’s not a wedding," Link replied, voice breaking despite every effort to keep himself together as he completed the exchange, their roles reversed now. 

"Isn't it, though?" Rhett asked, looking over at Link as he finally allowed his own eyes to overflow. "Isn't that what this feels like to you? A marriage?" Rhett's accompanying chuckle was wet and pained and low, not a hint of humour to be found in it. "'Cause if this isn't what I think it is, I need you to get clear real quick on just what it is you want from me here, buddy." His Southern twang was more pronounced now, his body held tight like a hunter's bow, red-rimmed green eyes looking at Link like he was the only one in the world who could release the bolt. 

Link had had enough of this nightmarish purgatory. He let the arrow fly. 

"Everything." The admission was abruptly ripped from his chest and yet somehow slowly bled out of him, every anchor, every level of protection he had ever known slipping away with a truth revealed years too late, and far, far too soon. “I want everything from you. But more than that, I just don't want to lose you. I can't lose you, Rhett, please don’t let me lose you over this." 

“Say it out loud to me,” Rhett begged, openly crying now. 

“I love you,” Link confessed through his own tears. 

Rhett made a broken noise that was somewhere between a laugh and a sob, surging towards Link to grasp his face between his hands, his fingers wrapping solidly around the back of his neck. “I have been waiting thirty-six years to hear you say those words to me,” he choked out, “not as a brother or a friend. Fuck, Link, I have loved you every day of my whole damn life.” 

“Is that why you’re so good at hidin’ it? Practice?” Link asked with a blubbery grin, the absolutely insane rush of relief and love pouring through him making him almost high on it.“‘Cause this has been torture, man.”

Rhett’s eyes were soft and amused despite the tears flowing from them still. “I’m terrible at hidin’ it, bo, you were just always too dumb to notice. Remember when we did that hair brushing nonsense a few weeks ago? I slipped up so many times that day, I almost couldn’t believe it when you didn’t call me out on it.” 

The kiss that Link attacked him with after that was a little messy, their cheeks wet and noses stuffy, too much emotion coursing through both of them for either to really even attempt showing off any moves, but it was perfect where it mattered, in tongues and lips and roaming hands, their hearts finally getting the chance they deserved, together. 

They breathed each other’s air and held each other tight, the closest thing to married you could get without a priest present or rings exchanged. 

They already had a church, each other, and an undeniable love that had spanned decades. 

The rings would come in time. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment if you liked this, I am weak for feedback! 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


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